Piping Plover Chick. Photo taken on June 23, 2022 in Hampton, NH THE STORY The Massachusetts Audubon monitors several threatened and endangered species during the summer season, including Piping Plovers. These tiny shorebirds, that migrate to Massachusetts to breed in the dunes, have become threatened due to the increase of human activity around their nesting sites, and loss of habitat. All across the state, many beaches have areas closed to ORVs, dogs, and kites in order to promote the welfare and survival of these threatened birds. Wonderfully, these efforts are succeeding as the populations are slowly rising.